The good ol' days of understanding where the Lakers are headed are over, and it's time to grip at straws. That's what makes Michael Beasley the perfect player at a horrible time.

Charlie Walters of The Pioneer Press reports the L.A. Lakers are indeed interested in Michael Beasley and the Timberwolves may in fact be inclined to deal the out-of-favor player.

Walters surmises the Timberwolves are not about to take on more bodies and may very well pull the trigger if the Lakers send back a first-round pick.

When the rumor was first presented a few days ago that Beasley may be coming to L.A. for as little as a trade exception or a couple of picks, I was ardent in my opposition.

I have warmed to the idea simply for the fact that help is not going to come from anywhere else. My main point of contention about adding a player like Beasley is the very issue that seems to be plaguing him in Minnesota.

His minutes are waning and there are still questions on his maturity, something that the Lakers don't have time to deal with, or so I thought.

The Lakers may be 5-1 in the last six games, but there are still issues with their offense. After Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, there is a wide chasm in talent. This is a shallow team and the drop off in Metta World Peace's production will only get worse.

Combine that with a behind-the-scenes dispute that is an utter mess and you see that not much can get worse for the Lakers by adding a player that could actually help fill the 3 spot.

The LA Times'Helene Elliott reports on a Lakers fiasco brewing far from the basketball court. The soap opera is already playing out behind the scenes, so what's a little more ego and potential pouting from Beasley?

With only three more seasons in store for this nucleus, the time is now to get creative. The Lakers are going nowhere as a team that is good but not great, so filling a hole in scoring despite the potential for disaster actually makes sense.

Beasley is trying to say the right things. Per the Pioneer Press report:

I just play basketball, and if that happens, it happens, and I still play basketball. For now, I'm a Timberwolf. I love my team and my coaches. If it's time for me to go, I have no control over that. I'm just playing the game and keeping my mouth shut.

As long as he keeps his mouth shut and concentrates on the game, there is just no issue with the Lakers bringing him in.

In fact, it's a pretty good idea, which is counter to every other thing the Lakers front office has done this season.